Hello Delhi: Is Rameshwar Teli a successful MP?

By Amlan Jyoti Saikia

Reporters from Pratidin Time have been criss-crossing the state over the past month to get a sense of how the voters are thinking. They bring you stories from their journey and how this time it was different from the last Lok Sabha election in 2014.

This time, Pratidin Time’s Political Editor Nayan Pratim Kumar brings you stories from his journey to Dibrugarh Lok Sabha Constituency ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2019. Rameshwar Teli has been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Dibrugarh (Lok Sabha constituency) in the general elections of 2014.

Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments:

Moran

Dibrugarh

Lahowal

Duliajan

Tingkhong

Naharkaria

Tinsukia

Digboi

Margherita

Members of Parliament

1951: N. Hazarika, Indian National Congress

1957: N. Hazarika, Indian National Congress

1962: N. Hazarika, Indian National Congress

1967: N. Hazarika, Indian National Congress

1971: Robindranath Kakoti, Indian National Congress

1977: Haren Bhumij, Indian National Congress

1984: Haren Bhumij, Indian National Congress

1991: Paban Singh Ghatowar, Indian National Congress

1996: Paban Singh Ghatowar, Indian National Congress

1998: Paban Singh Ghatowar, Indian National Congress

1999: Paban Singh Ghatowar, Indian National Congress

2004: Sarbananda Sonowal, Asom Gana Parishad

2009: Paban Singh Ghatowar, Indian National Congress

2014: Rameshwar Teli, Bharatiya Janata Party

Dibrugarh constituency’s incomplete work and unmet promises:

1. Lekhapani coal-based power project: The Assam government had established a 660 MW mega-thermal power plant at Margherita in Tinsukia district. The mega-power project has been set up at a 2,000 bigha land at Marghertia. But hitherto no practical progress can be seen by the authorities concerned regarding it. Local public and organizations demanded Govt. to immediately run the Lekhapani coal-based power project. They urged both the governments to immediately start the proposed coal-based power project at Lekhapani or there would be a series of democratic agitation programme.

2.100 MW power unit: NTPS is a power generating station of the Assam Power Generation Company Limited (APGCL), and the new plant is being constructed by public sector BHEL. Work on the project commenced in February 2009 and was due for completion in January 2012. The prolonged delay in the construction work has jacked up project cost from the initial Rs 564 crore to well over Rs 800 crore. Meanwhile, locals have reported that a section of the project site workers are resorting to theft of wires, cables and construction site material. A few outsiders were recently caught red-handed while stealing stacks of copper wire.

3. Rohmoria Erosion: Govt has totally failed to protect Rohmoria area and its neighboring areas from flood and erosion. People have been struggling for protection of Rohmoria and its neighboring areas from flood and erosion since many years. However, locals have seen Assam Govt’s lack of interest on it.

4. Fertilizer plant: The long-standing demand for setting up a new fertilizer plant by the name of Namrup IV, considering the technical viability of BVFCL’s Namrup II and III plants, has hitherto remained in a stagnant position, pushing its employees along with future of Namrup into doldrums. Considering the obsolete technical viability of BVFCL II and III plants set up in 1976 and 1987 respectively, the then Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ram Vilas Paswan on June 26, 2004 declared that the BVFCL 4th plant would be set up at the earliest possible time. But after long proceedings and uncertainties, the Central government by the end of 2016 decided to implement the deemed project under joint venture, where the M/s OIL India, Government of Assam and BVFCL assured to share 26 per cent, 11 per cent and 11 per cent respectively and the remaining 52 per cent capital investment would be done by Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizer. This has given a new hope that the setting up of Namrup IV would soon become a reality. But hitherto no practical progress can be seen by the authorities concerned regarding setting up of the Namrup IV. Besides, a question has been raised regarding the continuation and survival of the existing Namrup II and Namrup III plant which are running with several breakdowns till the implementation of the Namrup IV.Therefore, the workers’ unions of BVFCL along with other social organizations of Namrup, have urged upon the Centre to take immediate initiative for setting up Namrup IV plant to secure the future of Namrup.

5. Model villages: Kheremia and Langkachi, which recently were tagged as the ‘model village’ of Dibrugarh, is now in the news for the wrong reason, bad road condition. The roads, medical facilities, houses have remained unattended for more than four years even after several schemes were sanctioned.